Naperville Patriots win national youth football title
Naperville is youth football’s Title Town once again.
The Naperville Patriots eighth-grade Unlimited all-American team recently won the United Youth Football League national championship in Plant City, Fla.
In doing so they became the Patriot program’s fourth champion in six years.
The eighth-grade team, which beat Plant City 22-19 in the championship game, was one of six Patriots teams to compete at nationals. The fourth-grade Unlimited team took second place; the Cadets, Junior Pee Wee and Junior Midgets each took third place in their divisions; and the Pee Wee team finished fourth.
The eighth-grade team entered the national tournament undefeated and, after a first-round bye, defeated the Mount Vernon Razorbacks of the Big East Region 28-0, scoring all 28 points in the second half.
In the championship, the Patriots met the powerhouse Plant City Dolphins, whose high school team won Florida’s 8A state championship in the fall. Plant City had blown out the defending national champion Bridgeport Chargers 39-6 in the other semifinal.
Naperville needed to rally to knock off a fast, disciplined Plant City team in the final. The Patriots trailed 19-8 heading into the fourth quarter.
The team responded by mounting a nine-play, 69-yard drive capped by Rashaad Chamberlain’s 8-yard run on left end. Facing a third down and needing eight yards, the drive was kept alive by Manny Rugumba’s catch-and-run for 17 yards. Nick Walker converted the two-point conversion.
On Plant City’s ensuing possession, its tailback was dropped for an 8-yard loss on first down by Patriots defenders Daniel Dominiak, Tuff Borland, Dan Saracco and Rugumba. Plant City was forced to punt out of its end zone, setting up Naperville at the Dolphins’ 28-yard line, needing a touchdown for the win.
Borland hammered back-to-back 8-yard runs, but Plant City’s defense stiffened, leaving the Patriots with fourth down on the 6-yard line.
After a time out, the Patriots called for “Miami blue pass.” Quarterback Steve Franks faked the dive to Chamberlain, and threw a bullet pass to wide receiver Chris Simmons running an option route.
Plant City got its final possession near midfield, but great fourth-down coverage by Justin Weller, Borland and Chamberlain created a turnover on downs.